= radclient(1)
Alan DeKok
:doctype: manpage
:release-version: 4.0.0
:man manual: FreeRADIUS
:man source: FreeRADIUS
:manvolnum: 1

== NAME

radclient - send packets to a RADIUS server, show reply

== SYNOPSIS

*radclient* _[ OPTIONS ]_ _server {acct|auth|status|disconnect|auto} secret_

== DESCRIPTION

*radclient* is a radius client program. It can send arbitrary radius
packets to a radius server, then shows the reply. It can be used to test
changes you made in the configuration of the radius server, or it can be
used to monitor if a radius server is up.

*radclient* reads radius attribute/value pairs from it standard input,
or from a file specified on the command line. It then encodes these
attribute/value pairs using the dictionary, and sends them to the remote
server.

The `User-Password` and `CHAP-Password` attributes are automatically
encrypted before the packet is sent to the server.

== OPTIONS

*-4*::
  Use IPv4 (default)

*-6*::
  Use IPv6

*-c count*::
  Send each packet _count_ times.

*-d config_dir*::
  The directory that contains the user dictionary file. Defaults to
  `/etc/raddb`.

*-D dict_dir*::
  The directory that contains the main dictionary file. Defaults to
  `/usr/share/freeradius/dictionary`.

*-f filename[:filename]*::
  File to read the attribute/value pairs from. If this is not specified,
  they are read from stdin. This option can be specified multiple times,
  in which case packets are sent in order by file, and within each file,
  by first packet to last packet. A blank line separates logical packets
  within a file. If a pair of files separated by a colon is specified, the
  second file will be used to filter the responses to requests from the
  first. The number of requests and filters must be the same. A summary of
  filter results will be displayed if -s is passed.

*-F*::
  Print the file name, packet number and reply code.

*-h*::
  Print usage help information.

*-i id*::
  Use _id_ as the RADIUS request Id.

*-n number*::
  Try to send _number_ requests per second, evenly spaced. This option
  allows you to slow down the rate at which radclient sends requests. When
  not using `-n`, the default is to send packets as quickly as possible,
  with no inter-packet delays.
 +
  Due to limitations in radclient, this option does not accurately send
  the requested number of packets per second.

*-p number*::
  Send _number_ requests in parallel, without waiting for a response
  for each one. By default, radclient sends the first request it has
  read, waits for the response, and once the response is received,
  sends the second request in its list. This option allows you to send
  many requests at simultaneously. Once _number_ are sent, radclient
  waits for all of the responses to arrive (or for the requests to
  time out), before sending any more packets.
 +
  This option permits you to discover the maximum load accepted by a
  RADIUS server.

*-P proto*::
  Use _proto_ transport protocol ("tcp" or "udp"). Only available if
  FreeRADIUS is compiled with TCP transport support.

*-q*::
  Go to quiet mode, and do not print out anything.

*-r number*::
  Try to send each packet _number_ of times as retries, before giving up on it.
  The default is 10.

*-s*::
  Print out some summaries of packets sent and received.

*-S filename*::
   Rather than reading the shared secret from the command-line (where it
  can be seen by others on the local system), read it instead from
  _filename_.

*-t timeout*::
  Wait _timeout_ seconds before deciding that the NAS has not responded
  to a request, and re-sending the packet. The default timeout is 3.

*-v*::
  Print out version information.

*-x*::
  Print out debugging information.

*server[:port]*::
  The hostname or IP address of the remote server. Optionally a UDP port
  can be specified. If no UDP port is specified, it is looked up in
  `/etc/services`. The service name looked for is *radacct* for accounting
  packets, and *radius* for all other requests. If a service is not found
  in `/etc/services`, 1813 and 1812 are used respectively.
 +
  The RADIUS attributes read by _radclient_ can contain the special
  attribute `Packet-Dst-IP-Address`. If this attribute exists, then that
  IP address is where the packet is sent, and the *server* specified on
  the command-line is ignored.
 +
  If the RADIUS attribute list always contains the `Packet-Dst-IP-Address`
  attribute, then the *server* parameter can be given as *-*.
 +
  The RADIUS attributes read by _radclient_ can contain the special
  attribute `Packet-Dst-Port`. If this attribute exists, then that UDP
  port is where the packet is sent, and the *:port* specified on the
  command-line is ignored.

*auth | acct | status | disconnect | auto*::
  Use *auth* to send an authentication packet (Access-Request), *acct*
  to send an accounting packet (Accounting-Request), *status* to send an
  status packet (Status-Server), or *disconnect* to send a disconnection
  request. Instead of these values, you can also use a decimal code here.
  For example, code 12 is also *Status-Server*.
 +
  The RADIUS attributes read by _radclient_ can contain the special
  attribute `Packet-Type`. If this attribute exists, then that type of
  packet is sent, and the _type_ specified on the command-line is ignored.
 +
  If the RADIUS attribute list always contains the `Packet-Type`
  attribute, then the *type* parameter can be given as *auto*.

*secret*::
  The shared secret for this client. It needs to be defined on the
  radius server side too, for the IP address you are sending the radius
  packets from.

== EXAMPLE

A sample session that queries the remote server for _Status-Server_.
Not all servers support this, but FreeRADIUS has configurable support
for it.

[source,shell]
----
$ echo "Message-Authenticator = 0x00" | radclient 192.0.2.42 status s3cr3t
Sending request to server 192.0.2.42, port 1812.
Received Packet from host 192.0.2.42 code=2, id=140, length=54
    Reply-Message = "FreeRADIUS up 21 days, 02:05"
----

== SEE ALSO

radiusd(8)

== AUTHOR

The FreeRADIUS Server Project (https://freeradius.org)
